Messages

11

General Mach Discussion / Re: New PlugIn just about done..

« on: December 11, 2007, 04:01:34 PM »

Gents
I'm about buying a shuttle xpress, the little round one. What plugin is needed for this and what functions will be possible to assign to the buttons?
Thanks for advise!
Regards
Holger

12

Screen designer tips and tutorials / VBCodes for x-y-z-positions to modify

« on: December 08, 2007, 11:36:46 AM »

Hi,
I'm going to add some buttons to a screen of mine. Task is this: I mounted a camera to the z-axis with an offset to the tool of approx 60x40mm. I want to drill PCBs. To adjust the PCB before drilling I want to make a button (calling a script) what adds the offset between cam and tool to the xy coordinates and then move the controlled point back to the (stored) coordinates. State will be remembered in a userLED. By pressing the button again the offset will be subtracted in the same way (depending of the LED state there will be add/subtract). So I can switch between Cam and Tool to align the PCB and drill the PCB.

Manually I will get this result by writing a value into the x (y, z) DRO e.g. on screen 1.
But up to now I didn't manage to do this by an VB-script:
I tried to GET/SETDRO(0), this should be the X DRO acc to wiki.
I tried the OEM DRO 184-186, this should be "X cont.Pnt.coord DRO" acc. to wiki,
I tried to get/setParam("XDRO") ...

No result, the Axis DRO was never modified.
Could anyone give me a hint how to ?
Thanks so much! You would rescue my weekend ;-)

Regards
Holger

13

General Mach Discussion / Re: Macropump problem?

« on: November 09, 2007, 03:27:18 AM »

Hello Hood,
I'll keep an eye on this. After the initial tests on the printer port I really installed an USB-card, then tested only the USB matters (camera window in mach). So this was the reason surely.
btw, Mach did not show any problem with the address in the 0x4000 or ox7000 range.
Thanks & Regards
Holger

14

General Mach Discussion / Re: Macropump problem?

« on: November 08, 2007, 04:00:18 PM »

Thanks again, I just tested this ActivateSignal(...) positive!

How often will WinXP change the address of this PCI printer port card? How to fix it to a permanent address? Mine was different from yesterday, when I installe the card.

Regards
Holger

15

General Mach Discussion / Re: Macropump problem?

« on: November 08, 2007, 09:34:11 AM »

Thank you Scott, I overlooked just this page in the Wiki.

These VB Constants are related to the designations in the "Config - Ports and Pins"-Menu? There it reads Output #10 and ActivateSignal(OUTPUT10) will switch just this pin?

Thanks
Holger

16

General Mach Discussion / Re: Macropump problem?

« on: November 07, 2007, 05:58:19 PM »

Hello all,
may be a bit off topic, but searched for "ActivateSignal":

My problem is this: I just installed a 2nd PCI printer port to my PC, now wanted to test the signals.
I configuren Mach's outputs #10...#15 to Port 2 Pin 1...6.

Q: How can I Activate and Deactivate these outputs by a macro? I tried "ActivateSignal(10)" but compiler gave me syntax error. What is the proper syntax? The manual/wiki reads that an integer must be in the brackets. But which one e.g for Output#10 ?

Thanks for helping an beginner in macro-programming.
Regards
Holger

17

General Mach Discussion / Limit switch / Spindle start problem

« on: October 30, 2007, 03:27:46 PM »

Hi all,

I'm facing a limit switch problem, too:
Firstly the machine works pretty well with NC linit switches at X++/X-- in series and using the X-- as Xhome, too. Same setup for all axis, despite of Zhome is = Z++. There is also an E-Stop button (NC) connected, what directly stops the axis.

The odd behavior is this: Driving an axis manually into a limit switch then the movement immediatly stops (as required). BUT: after a delay of 1...4 seconds it happens that the Spindle/Coolant output relais will be activated and the spindle starts!

The program is in e-stop mode then, I have to press the RESET-button first and then I can manualy move the axis from the limit switch (auto override is enabled) and then I can press the spindle button. This must be pressed twice to stop the spindle, as MACH recognises the respective output to be low (in Diagnostic screen or in run screen by the yellow frame of the spindle button). So first press will switch on (the already running spindle), second press will turn it of.

What I yust tested was this: Terminating the MACH3 program and then press a limit switch by hand. Ooops, this also activated the spindle output, without Mach involved!

Any idea how I can corner this bug? Who/what controls the printer port beside of Mach or when Mach has been terminated?

(ok, I should involve the output relais into the hard-wired E-stop loop, but that's an other issue, I know)

Thanks for support!

Holger
 

18

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: New people welcome !! Come in here and introduce your self!

« on: October 30, 2007, 02:52:37 PM »

Hi all
my name is Holger. I'm living in Germany, building and piloting model airplanes, especially control line planes but also R/C, model yachts and milling by my self-constructed CNC mill since 2002.
My machine is a 1100mm(X)x660mm(Y)x150mm(Z) portal mill with a Proxxon driven spindle. Control is by Ostermann's (NC-step) electronic (Step3D plus extension+relais board & optocoupler board). Software was up to now PCNC DOS version. That's why I'm used to Keyboard shortcuts and HPGL data.
Materials I'm working withs are wood (balsa to mahagony) mostly, but also plastic and alu. As electronics takes a great slot of my hobbies also drilling+milling of PCBs is done by the mill.
Due to the loss of the next floppy drive due to dust in the workshop I looked around for a state of the art software replacement using common OS and LAN functionality. My choice after testing several available programs was to order Art's MACH3. I'm convinced by the open, flexible user interface and the great community around.
So far the first parts are milled by my new MACH3, I'm becoming more and more familiar with it and in my imagination there are already the first helpful things under construction: Jogging wheel, web cam for positioning when drilling PCBs (hardware already mounted).

Meanwhile I determined some problems. May be this comes from lack of experience or lack of some hints how to do. I'll use this forum to ask those things.

Let me apologize just now if I ask things handled by older threads here. I'm new here and I'm not a native Englisch speaker, so I may miss some phrases to search for. Please direct me to the proper threads then. Thank you and happy milling!

Regards
Holger
 

19

General Mach Discussion / Re: Constant velocity

« on: October 24, 2007, 09:54:07 AM »

Hello all,
when you do an update of MACH3, how do you make it? Just starting the installer-exe or cleaning the Mach3-folder before or is there an un-install tool anywhere?

I'm just in the test phase with Mach software, therefore not yet too familiar with it.

Thanks for advise.

Regards
Holger